Why does any writer put pen to page, or nowadays, finger to keyboard? To communicate with readers. I’ve always felt more comfortable with the written word. Perhaps it was the result of growing up speaking two languages. I was afraid of making mistakes in either French or English. Each of my parents was a stickler for correct vocabulary and grammar in his or her native language, French and English, respectively. Writing allows me to think a little more before I commit to a particular word or phrase. As a result,, I can be more certain that my words express my true thoughts.
I’ve always enjoyed writing, and of course reading. In my school years I did well in both English and French courses. I even got a few honourable mentions for essays entered into the Atlantic Monthly’s annual writing contest for students. Later, I learned that good writing shouldn’t be flowery. My poli sci professor at McGill commented that the quality of my writing sometimes distracted attention from the substance of my arguments!
Good writing was key to success in my career as an economist . I had to prepare policy analyses and marshall facts in a clear and convincing way, without wasted words. Moreover, I was able to devote some of my time at work to writing scholarly articles and monographs on various aspects of economics. Thus I continued to hone my craft, though of course my writing was aimed at a very specialized audience.
In retirement, I continued to write economics articles and books, including a textbook on international finance and a monograph (with Catherine Pattillo) entitled The Monetary Geography of Africa. But as my connection to the field of economics grew more tenuous, I looked to widen the scope of my writing to fiction, in particular detective fiction. I’ll explain why I chose that genre in another post.
